Device for catching a runaway ski

ABSTRACT

A catching device for use with a ski to prevent its running away upon becoming loose from the foot of the skier comprising an axle, a yoke fixedly mounted on the axle for rotation therewith and having a shank portion extending beyond the axle at both sides thereof, a spring biasing the axle and the shank portion thereby in a direction which is transverse to the general direction of the running surface of a ski, when the catching device is mounted on a ski, and pointing downward from the running surface, thereby engaging the snow and braking the movement of the ski.

United States Patent 1 [1 1 3, 15,126

Schwarz Feb. 6, 1973 DEVICE FOR CATCHING A RUNAWAY FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1 12,640 12/1944 Switzerland .280/1 1.13 B lnventgr: GunterSchwarz, Pflugst asse 6 Zu- Canada ..270/i l.13 B

rich, Switzerland Primary ExaminerBenjamin Hersh [22] Filed: July 22,1970 Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith [21] Appl. NO: 57,289Azt0rneyErnest F. Marmorek [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Apphcanon PrmntyData A catching device for use with a ski to prevent its July 22, 1969Switzerland ..l 1212/69 running away upon becoming loose from the footof the skier comprising an axle, a yoke fixedly mounted 52 us. Cl...2s0/11.13 B on the axle for rotation therewith and having a Shank 51A63c 7/10 portion extending beyond the axle at both sides [58] Field ofSearch ..2s0/11.13 B thereof, a Spring biasing the a and the Shank tionthereby in a direction which is transverse to the [56] Refrences Citedgeneral direction of the running surface ofaski, when the catchingdevice is mounted on a ski, and pointing UNlTED S A ES PATENTS downwardfrom the running surface, thereby engaging the snow and braking themovement of the ski. 3,083,028 3/1963 Miller ..280/l1.l3 B 3,048,4188/1962 Gertsch ..280/] 1.13 B 6 Claims, 9 Drawing [Figures PATENTEDFEB 6I975 3.715; 126 SHEET 20F 4 INVENTOR: 623 1?! ATTORNEX PATEHTEDFEB 19w3.715126 SHEET 30F 4 IN VENTOR BY MAM ATTORNEY PMEPHEDFEB ms 3.715.126SHEET M 0F 4 v I DEVICE FOR CATCIIING A RUNAWAY SKI BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION In order to avoid loss of a ski after the safety bindingthereof has opened when the skier fell, practically all present-daybindings are provided with safety straps. Such straps are loosely boundaround the ski boot so that the ski, even after the binding has opened,remains connected with the skier and cannot free itself completely.Consequently, other skiers on the slope would become endangered, or theski would become lost especially on steep terrains with obstructed view.

The disadvantage of such safety straps resides in that, in case of afall, they pull on the ski which became loose from the boot and during afall at high speed it might powerfully rebound back against the skierand injure him with its sharp edges.

In order to avoid such accidents it has been proposed to completely omitthe safety straps so that the ski could remove itself from the immediatearea of the skier after a fall. Instead of safety straps there has beenproposed a catching device which after the safety binding has opened,becomes automatically operated and will bring the ski to a stop by acable suspension after a short distance so that the skier can againreach his skis. One of such known devices comprises essentially abraking lever which is spring-biased and is mounted on the upper surfaceof the ski in front of the ski binding and which is held in itsinactuated position by means of a projection protruding under the skiboot. As soon as the binding opens up and the ski boot lifts itself outof the binding, the spring causes a rotation of the aforementioned leverand thereby to protrude over the longitudinal side edge of the ski intoa perpendicular plane with respect to the running surface of the ski,whereby a portion of the lever will dig itself into the snow and forcethe ski to come to a stop after a certain time.

This device possesses different disadvantages. As mentioned above it ismounted in front of the ski binding where the present-day bindings areusually provided with a swiveling head which in the event of a fallswivels sideways and thereby protrudes at least with a portion thereofover the side edge of the ski. As a result it gets into the swivelingregion of the catching device mentioned above which is also protrudingover the edge of the ski. Therefore, the catching device, that is itslever, can under certain circumstances interfere with the swiveling headof the safety binding and thereby be prevented from becomingoperational.

A further disadvantage of such known catching device resides in that itslever which is being pressed down by the ski boot exercises asubstantial pressure through its associated spring against the nose ofthe boot against which it abuts and thereby increases the frictionalforces operating on the boot. As a result, a reliable functioning of thefront piece of the safety binding cannot be expected since it is a basicrequirement that the nose of the boot should free itself easily from theswiveling head of the safety binding.

Furthermore, it has been found that such a device which is operable onlyalong a longitudinal edge of the ski, on packed snow or especially onicy slopes, cannot be fully effective since the ski is lifted off theground on only one side thereof by the braking lever which is in avertical position with respect to the ski. Therefore, a

large portion of the weight of the ski becomes shifted on the oppositeedge thereof and remains unimpeded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to eliminate the above-described disadvantages assoeiated withknown catching devices.

It is a further object of the presentinvention to provide a novelcatching device for a runaway ski which is capable of stopping therunaway ski after a relatively short distance or immediately after thefall under any snow conditions prevailing on the ski slope.

According to the present invention a shaft or axle is providedtransversely on the upper surface of the ski and on which a pair ofrearwardly projecting shank portions are journalled which under theeffect of a spring are easily transferred into a catching or operationalposition in which they protrude substantially vertically downwardly fromthe running surface of the ski, and which are connected with a yokeportion pointing in the opposite direction with respect to the axle andwhich operates to help to retain the shank portions in an inactuatedposition when the ski boot is safely in the binding, the entire catchingdevice being mounted on the ski in the back of the ski boot.

Such a catching device must naturally be capable of cooperating with alltypes of safety bindings and accommodate the different types of bindingsby undergoing only minor modifications.

\ BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will become morereadily apparent from the following description of preferred embodimentsthereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the catching device according to thepresent invention mounted on a ski having a safety .binding of a firsttype, the catching device being shown in its rest or inactuatedposition;

FIG. 2 illustrates the catching device shown in FIG. 1, in plan view,omitting the part of the safety binding shown in' FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the catchingdevice according to the present invention adapted for use with aheel-type safety binding and illustrating the catching device in itsactuated or catching position;

FIG. 4 is a further embodiment of the catching device according to thepresent invention adapted for use with a cable-type safety binding;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a locking apparatus for th catching device;

FIG. 7 is a still further embodiment of the catching device according tothe present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cutaway view, partly in section, of the catching device ofFIG. 7 (in its skiing position); and

FIG. 9 is a cutaway view, partly in section, of the catching device ofFIG. 8 in its stopping or catching position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2it is seen that a yoke 1 with its end portions is rotatably mounted onthe ends of a fulcrum means, such as a shaft or axle 2 which in turnextends transverse with respect to the upper surface of a ski 3. Theaxle 2 is placed in a cylindrical housing 4 to which there is secured amounting plate 5. With the help of the mounting plate 5 the entirecatching device is secured to the upper surface of the ski 3 preferablyby means of screws 6.

The type of binding shown in FIG. 1 comprises a base plate 31 securelyconnected to a ski boot 30, and is releasably journalled at its frontand back portions in binding heads 32 and 33. The mounting plate 5 ismounted together with the back head 33 of the binding. The yoke 1 isthen lying under the base plate 31 and will be pressed down by the baseplate 31 into its inac tive or rest position, as shown in FIG. 1.

The yoke 1 extends from its pivot point on axle 2, as seen in FIGS. 1and 3, into a pair of widened portions 7 which are protruding rearwardlyin the rest position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and downwardly in theoperating or catching position as shown in FIG. 3. Such widened portion7 on each side is extended in the form of a shank portion 8.

With reference to FIG. 2 it is seen that a torsion spring 9 is mountedin a housing 4. The torsion spring 9 can be, for example, made in theform of a helical spring. At one end the torsion spring 9 is coupledwith a tensioning disc 10 which is mounted adjacent the housing 4 and iscoaxial with respect thereto. This tensioning disc 10 is provided on itscircumferential surface with apertures 11 into which an appropriateinstrument can be inserted and thereby cause rotation of tensioning disc10 with the consequential result of adjusting the bias force of thespring 9 to a desired strength.

On the housing 4 at one end thereof a boss 12 is pro vided against whicha projection 13 provided on yoke 1 abuts, such projection being providedwith a spring bolt 14 which comes in actual abutment with boss 12 whenthe yoke 1 is moved into the catching position. A similar boss can alsobe provided at the other end of the housing 4 thereby to afford thatyoke 1 could abut at both its ends.

The catching device according to the present invention in its operativeor rest position is arranged in such a manner, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2,that yoke 1 and its shank portion 8 lie parallel with the longitudinaledge of ski 3 and do not interfere with its sliding movement. In thisposition yoke 1 protrudes from axle 2 and also from housing 4 in aforward direction and thereby it lies under the ski boot 30 or in theevent type binding is used as shown in FIG. 1, using a base plate 31, itwill lie under 'base plate 31. In the event of a fall when the safetybinding opens and the ski becomes loose from the foot of the skier, thetorsion spring 9 will rotate yoke 1 and its shank portions 8 into thecatching position shown in FIG. 3 in which the yoke 1 points in asubstantially vertical direction with respect to the ski 3 and the shankportions 8 point in a substantially vertical direction downward withrespect to ski 3. As particularly can be seen in FIG. 3, as a result ofthe opening of the catching device according to the present invention,the ski at the point where the catching device shank portions are,becomes completely relieved of its own weight which has been beforedistributed on the running surface of the ski, that is a good portion ofthe total weight of the ski is distributed under relatively hard snowconditions (packed slope) on'the narrow supporting edges 15 of bothshank portions 8. As a result the surface pressure becomes substantiallyincreased and the shank portions 8 dig themselves somewhat into the snowduring the movement of the released ski and bring themto a stop in ashort period of time. In the event of a loose deep snow into which theski easily sinks even under its own weight, the up: wardly pointing yokeportion 1 will pile up the snow in front of it so that this brakingaction will assist a restraining of the runaway ski in a short time andon a short distance. The embodiments of the catching device according tothe present invention are substantially the same when used with thesafety binding types illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 and the soledifference between these two embodiments amounts only to differentdimension of the yoke 1. The yoke 1 comprises a pair of arm portions 16and a connecting plate portion 17 which together with both arms 16 formsa single piece. The two arms 16, as seen in FIG. 3, have an angularcross section in order to provide a better stiffening of yoke 1. Arms 16must have a length in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 which assures thatthe connecting plate 17 after the device has been rotated in thecatching position will not interfere with the head 33 of the safetybinding which rather will fall within the window formed by arms 16 andconnecting plate 17.

According to the present invention the connecting plate 17 of the yoke 1is provided with a projection 19 which is especially beneficial whenused in connection with the binding according to FIG. 1. During therelease a rotational movement of the foot with respect to the ski 3takes place and such rotational movement could be prevented orinterefered with by the friction arising between the spring biased yoke1 and the ski boot 30 or base plate 31. By the provision of projection19 the base plate 31 or the ski boot 30 and the yoke 1 become isolatedfrom each other with the exception of the small contact surface ofprojection 19. For this purpose projection 19 is provided in the centerof the rotational movement, namely in about the center of the lastportion of the boot.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is preferred to be used with theheel-release type safety bindings in which the ski boot (not shown) isheld down by a heel-release device 18, particularly with a fork portion18a thereof (both portions being shown with a dashed line in order toavoid crowding of the drawing) which during a fall moves rearwardly andreleases the ski boot. For this type of binding it is preferable thatthe mounting plate 5 extends opposite to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,that is rearwardly, so that it can be mounted on the ski 3 together withthe heel-release unit 18. This can be done without difficulty since itis necessary only that the housing 4 be rotated by when placed into yoke1, then boss 12 can be placed into its position. A placing of thecatching device behind the heel-release unit 18 would be difficultbecause of the presence of reset lever 20 and it would be necessary tomake arms 16 extremely long. It should also be considered in connectionwith this type of binding that it is advantageous to place the catchingdevice as near as possible to the center of gravity of the ski andthereby to attain the largest possible braking, that is catching effect.

The abovedescribed embodiment cannot be used with cable or pull-typesafety bindings since arms 16 partially overhang on the side of the skias seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. If used with cable-type safety bindings,the arms 16 would interfere with the region of the cable lug 21 forcable 22. It is, therefore, necessary to employ another embodiment ofthe catching device in which the yoke la comprises substantially a plate17a which is connected rotatably to axle 2 by means of a pair of shortoffset arms 16a. The plate 17a is preferably made as long that it willlie at least with a portion thereof under the last portion of the skiboot, and should be made as wide as the ski in order to avoid anyinterference with the cable. Also, in this case it is preferred to havea projection 19 described. above placed on plate 17a as shown in FIG. 4for the purposes described. i

For locking of the catching device during transporting of the skis adevice shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is preferred according to the presentinvention. Such locking device comprises a pair of cylindrical stems 40to be used with both skis. A chain or plastic rope 41 connects bothstems 40 together and thereby. it will couple both skis together so thatthe skier will be reminded to remove the locking device from the ski andthereby set the catching device on before the first run. Each stem 40has a pair of grooves 42 on it having a distance between themcorresponding to the distance between the two shank portions 8 and thewidth of such grooves 42 corresponds to the thickness of the shankportions 8. The catching device is placed into the position shown inFIG. 1 and one of the stems 40 is inserted into aperture 43 shown inFIG. 3 provided in shank portions 8 and is shoved transversely over theski 3. Both shank portions 8 are forced under the action of the spring 9into grooves 42 to prevent a sliding out of the stems 40. 1 Anotherdevice shown in FIG. 6 serves for a short blocking of the catchingdevice during the mounting of the skis. Such device shows a short pin 44which is inserted into one of the apertures 43 and'becomes arrested ingroove 42. The pin 44 is connected with a plate 45 which has also anabutting surface 46 thereon which in turn abuts against the uppersmaller side of the shank portion 8 and serves to hold itin position inwhich it protrudes beyond the under side of the ski and serves to remindthe skier that the device should be removed before the first run andthat the catching device should be set.

A further preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.7. In this embodiment both shank portions 8 do not form a single piecewith yoke 1, but they are also rotatable not only about the axle 2 butalso about the yoke 1 itself. The yoke linstead of having connectingplate 17 on arms 16, is made from a round profile material and on bothof its sides is made in the form of a shaft 50. About this shaft, eachshank portion can be rotated into a position in which it forms an anglewith the longitudinal axis of the ski which angle is opened toward thehead of the ski. The shank portions 8 also somewhat converge backwardlywhich results in a better braking effect since the snow will be piled upagainst the ski. In the arrested position both shank portions 8 lie onthe upper side of the ski and are in flush with the upper edge thereof.In order that they could be swiveled into the catching position, it ispreferred that on each ski edge a slide block 51 is provided so that theshank portions 8 could slide downward over these blocks. The: shankportions 8 for this purpose are provided with a downward charnferingangle 52. Each yoke 1 is further provided with an angu lar portion 54which during the resetting of the catching device into its flat or restposition abut against a boss 55 provided on the ski. As a result,portions 54 becomes forced upward so that the shank portions 8 becomesecurely abutting against theski after a slight rotational movementabout the axis 50.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tobe secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A catching device, for use in connection with a ski having an uppersurface, two sides, and a lower running surface extending in onedirection and operative to prevent the ski from running away uponbecoming loose from the boot of the skier, comprising in combination,

means establishing a fulcrum on said ski,

yoke means adapted to be mounted for rotation about said fulcrum, saidyoke means having a shank portion extending beyond said fulcrum at bothsides of the ski and a yoke portion held in engagement with the uppersurface of the ski by the boot of the skier,

and spring means biasing said shank portion in a direction transverse tosaid one direction and operable for pointing said yoke portion upwardsfrom said upper surface and said shank portion downwards from saidrunning surface when the boot is released from the ski, said fulcrummeans including a rotatable axle, said yoke means being connected tosaid axle, said spring means including a helical spring mounted on saidaxle, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring means.

2. A catching device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yoke portionscomprises a pair of arm portions extending away from said axle in adirection opposite said shank portion and a connection portioninterconnecting said arm portions at their end portions further fromsaid axle and forming a window with said arm portions and said axle,said connecting portion, when said device is mounted on a ski, adaptedto be flat on the upper surface of the ski.

3. A catching device as claimed in claim 1 further including a housingfor receiving said axle and said spring means, whereby said adjustingmeans mounts said spring means in said housing.

4. A catching device for use in connection with a ski having an uppersurface, two sides, and a lower running surface extending in onedirection and operative to prevent the ski from running away uponbecoming loose from the foot of the skier, comprising in combination,

means establishing a fulcrum on said ski,

yoke means adapted to be mounted for rotation about said fulcrum, saidyoke means having a shank portion extending beyond said fulcrum at bothsides of the ski,

on said axle, and means for adjusting the tension of spring meansbiasing said axle and thereby said shank portions in a directionsubstantially transverse to the top surface of said ski;

said shank portions being adapted to lie flush against and spring meansbiasing said shank portion in a each side of said ski when said yokemeans is direction transverse to said one direction and biased againstthe face of said spring means when pointing downwards from said runningsurface, said boot is in skiing position, said shank portions saidfulcrum means including a rotatable axle, said leaving a clearance abovethe bottom surface of yoke means being connected to said axle, said theski, said yoke means lying flat against the top spring means including ahelical spring mount d 10 surface of the ski when said boot is in saidskiing position, and a boss means provided on said yoke said springmeans, said yoke means further includans f r a utting against the soleof a boot and ing a pair of arm portions extending away from p ing aidyoke ans th r from. said axle in a direction opposite said shank portion6. A catching device for use in connection with a ski and a connectionportion interconnecting said arm and Operable for Preventing its un ingaway after rti t h i d portions f h from id becoming loose from the bootofthe skier, comprising axle and forming a window with said arm portionsaxle adapted for being mounted transversely and said axle, saidconnecting portion, when said Said Ski eve! the p Surface thereof; d i imounted on a ki d d to be fl t on yoke means fixedly mounted on saidaxle for rotation h upper surface f h ki d a projection therewith andhaving a yoke portion thereof held vided on said connecting portionpointing in an upin engagement t the pp Surface of the Ski y d directionaway f h top Surface f a Ski the boot of the skier and free end portionsthereof when said device is mounted and adapted to abut extending beyondand y from Said axle; against the sole of a boot when in skiingposition. a P of shanks rotatably mounted on respective end 5. Acatching device in combination with a ski P t f Said y means, Springmeans mounted thereon for preventing its running away after biasmg 531daxleand thereby 531d y means into becoming loose from the foot oftheskier comprising a h P y from e p surface of an axle mountedtransversely on said ski over the top and slmultaneously rotatmg SaldShanks Surface th f; about longitudinal axis of said free end portion ofyoke means fixedly mounted on said axle for rotation Said y means intoan P angular Position with therewith and having a pair of shank portionsexrespect to the P of the tending beyond and away'from said axle;

1. A catching device, for use in connection with a ski having an uppersurface, two sides, and a lower running surface extending in onedirection and operative to prevent the ski from running away uponbecoming loose from the boot of the skier, comprising in combination,means establishing a fulcrum on said ski, yoke means adapted to bemounted for rotation about said fulcrum, said yoke means having a shankportion extending beyond said fulcrum at both sides of the ski and ayoke portion held in engagement with the upper surface of the ski by theboot of the skier, and spring means biasing said shank portion in adirection transverse to said one direction and operable for pointingsaid yoke portion upwards from said upper surface and said shank portiondownwards from said running surface when the boot is released from theski, said fulcrum means including a rotatable axle, said yoke meansbeing connected to said axle, said spring means including a helicalspring mounted on said axle, and means for adjusting the tension of saidspring means.
 1. A catching device, for use in connection with a skihaving an upper surface, two sides, and a lower running surfaceextending in one direction and operative to prevent the ski from runningaway upon becoming loose from the boot of the skier, comprising incombination, means establishing a fulcrum on said ski, yoke meansadapted to be mounted for rotation about said fulcrum, said yoke meanshaving a shank portion extending beyond said fulcrum at both sides ofthe ski and a yoke portion held in engagement with the upper surface ofthe ski by the boot of the skier, and spring means biasing said shankportion in a direction transverse to said one direction and operable forpointing said yoke portion upwards from said upper surface and saidshank portion downwards from said running surface when the boot isreleased from the ski, said fulcrum means including a rotatable axle,said yoke means being connected to said axle, said spring meansincluding a helical spring mounted on said axle, and means for adjustingthe tension of said spring means.
 2. A catching device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said yoke portions comprises a pair of arm portionsextending away from sAid axle in a direction opposite said shank portionand a connection portion interconnecting said arm portions at their endportions further from said axle and forming a window with said armportions and said axle, said connecting portion, when said device ismounted on a ski, adapted to be flat on the upper surface of the ski. 3.A catching device as claimed in claim 1 further including a housing forreceiving said axle and said spring means, whereby said adjusting meansmounts said spring means in said housing.
 4. A catching device for usein connection with a ski having an upper surface, two sides, and a lowerrunning surface extending in one direction and operative to prevent theski from running away upon becoming loose from the foot of the skier,comprising in combination, means establishing a fulcrum on said ski,yoke means adapted to be mounted for rotation about said fulcrum, saidyoke means having a shank portion extending beyond said fulcrum at bothsides of the ski, and spring means biasing said shank portion in adirection transverse to said one direction and pointing downwards fromsaid running surface, said fulcrum means including a rotatable axle,said yoke means being connected to said axle, said spring meansincluding a helical spring mounted on said axle, and means for adjustingthe tension of said spring means, said yoke means further including apair of arm portions extending away from said axle in a directionopposite said shank portion and a connection portion interconnectingsaid arm portions at their end portions further from said axle andforming a window with said arm portions and said axle, said connectingportion, when said device is mounted on a ski, adapted to be flat on theupper surface of the ski, and a projection provided on said connectingportion pointing in an upward direction away from the top surface of aski when said device is mounted and adapted to abut against the sole ofa boot when in skiing position.
 5. A catching device in combination witha ski mounted thereon for preventing its running away after becomingloose from the foot of the skier comprising an axle mounted transverselyon said ski over the top surface thereof; yoke means fixedly mounted onsaid axle for rotation therewith and having a pair of shank portionsextending beyond and away from said axle; spring means biasing said axleand thereby said shank portions in a direction substantially transverseto the top surface of said ski; said shank portions being adapted to lieflush against each side of said ski when said yoke means is biasedagainst the face of said spring means when said boot is in skiingposition, said shank portions leaving a clearance above the bottomsurface of the ski, said yoke means lying flat against the top surfaceof the ski when said boot is in said skiing position, and a boss meansprovided on said yoke means for abutting against the sole of a boot andspacing said yoke means therefrom.